Ball-pitching machine with trajectory-controlling means



July 19, 1966 R. c. LAIRD 3,261,340

BALL-PITCHING MACHINE WITH TRAJECTORY-CONTROLLING MEANS Filed Sept. 24,1964 INVENTOR. R0) 6. LA/RD ATTORNE Y United States Patent Thisinvention relates to a ball-pitching machine that is provided with meansto adjust or control the trajectory of the ball that it propels. Thepresent invention is an improvement of the machine disclosed in mypending application, Serial No. 182,351, filed March 28, 1963, k

and titled Ball-Pitching Machine.

The machine disclosed in the mentioned application has a pitching arm onwhich is mounted a ball holder which, upon release of said arm, expendsenergy stored therein by a torsion spring bar and swings around the axisof said spring bar to centrifugally propel a ball resting in the ballholder. The pitching arm of said machine provides for adjusting the ballholder toward and from the spring bar to increase or decrease theeffective length of the ballpitching arm or lever. Regardless of suchadjustment, the ball is propelled for a shorter or longer distance, butalways in the same manner, i.e., the relationship between the ball andthe holder is always such that the ball leaves the holder on atrajectory that is always the same but is shorter or longer according tothe adjustment.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine, as abovecharacterized, with means that may be adjusted to control the height ofa ball from the ground as it crosses home plate and also to control thepath of the ball over the plate in simulation of curves, sliders andother such pitches thrown by a pitcher.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a workingposition and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The above objects are realized in a ball-pitching machine, as abovegenerally described, in which means is provided to tilt the ball-holdingmeans so that it is at different angles relative to the pitching arm andto the plane of the arc in which it swings. The adjustment enableseffecting ball release in different ways, i.e., earlier or later tocontrol the height of the trajectory and the height of a pitched 'ballabove home plate, or at different lateral angles to control the angle ofthe path of the ball as it crosses over home plate, or a combination ofthese two ways of propelling the ball so that the ball will cross homeplate in simulation of a slider thrown by a pitcher.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description, and which is based on theaccompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows and thefollowing description merely describes, one embodiment of the presentinvention, which is given by way of illustration for example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in theseveral views.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a ball-pitching machine which, according to theinvention, is provided with trajectorycontrolling means.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged and partly broken end elevational view of saidmachine in cocked position preparatory to pitching or propelling a ball.

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing said machine immediately before releaseof the pitching arm.

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged and fragmentary sectional view of thecocked pitching arm with the trajectorycontrolling means adjusteddifferently from that shown in FIG. 2.

F 4 3,261,340 Ce Patented July 19, 1966 The present improvements areprovided in a pitching machine that has a pitching arm 5 that, from acocked position, is released so as to swing about an axis 6 under thepower stored in a torsion member 7 disposed on said axis. An exemplarymachine as shown, comprises a support frame 8, two longitudinally spacedblocks 9 and 10 fixedly mounted on said frame, said member 7 comprisingan elongated tube that has rotational hearing at its opposite ends inboth said blocks, the pitching arm 5 being afiixed to the tube 7adjacent bearing block 9, means 11 to releasably latch the arm 5 andincluding a releasing handle 12, a cocking arm 13 afiixed to the end ofa member 7 that is adjacent to the block 16, and pedal-operated means 14to rock said cocking arm 13 to place the member 7 under torsional stressthat stores energy therein so that, when the means 11 is moved by itshandle 12 to release the pitching arm 5, the latter will rapidly swingon the axis 6 as the member 7 resumes an unstressed condition.

According to the present invnetion, the pitching arm 5 is provided witha holder 15 for a ball B which is adjustable toward and from the axis 6and also universally tiltable relative to said arm 5.

Said holder is shown as comprising a cup 16 that has an upper perimeteror annular rim or lip 17 that is smaller, diametrally, than the ball Band, therefore, constitutes an annular ball-engaging support for saidball, as shown. A preferably circular shim 18 is interposed between theflat bottom of the cup 16 and the top of arm 5, said shim beingwedge-shaped so that its opposite faces 19 and 20 define an acute anglebetween them. The shim 18 has a central hole 21 through which a stud 22extends from the bottom of the cup, said stud extending also through anelongated slot 23 in arm 5. A compression spring 24 is confined betweena head 25 on the end of stud 22 and the under face of the top 26 of arm5.

As can be seen, the spring 24 resiliently holds the cup 16 and a balltherein against the arm 5, and the lip 17 of the cup is at an angle tothe top 26 of the arm 5, according to the rotational disposition of theshim. It will be noted from FIG. 2 that the shim has its thicker edge onthe side toward the axis 6, the cup 16 and its rim 17 being at one anglerelative to said arm top 26; and from FIG. 4, that the shim has itsthinner edge on the side toward said axis 6, the cup and its lip 17being at a different angle relative to said arm top 26. FIG. 3, bydot-dash lines 17a and 17b, respectively, shows the said lip anglesrelative to arm top 26 at the approximate position of arm 5 at which theball B is propelled. It will be clear therefrom that the ball isreleased from engagement with the cup rim 17 differently in one saidadjusted position than in the other. Not only the height of thetrajectory is different, but also the height at which the ball passesabove the plate is different. At the angle of line 1711, the top portionof the rim 17 will release the ball sooner than at the angle of line1717, providing the abovedescribed differences in ball control.

By adjusting the shim 18 so that the thick edge thereof is at one sideor the other, i.e., phased from one of the above adjusted positions, thecup rim 17 engages the ball differently at one side than at the other,and so affects ball rotation as to cause the same to pursue a course ata lateral angle as it crosses the plate.

At most angular positions of the cup and its rim 17, one part of therim, by retaining contact with the ball longer than other portionsthereof, will impart ball rotation or spin that will cause the ball,according to the speed of the pitch, to curve in a direction accordingto the location of said one rim part.

Since the shim 18 may be readily rotated between pitches, the ball maybe directed toward a batter practicing hitting, in different wayswithout the batter being aware of the adjustment. Adjustment along slot23 of the cup 16 may as readily be effected.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described What is nowcontemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, theconstruction is, of course, subject to modification without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desiredto restrict the invention to the particular form of constructionillustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a ball-pitching machine having a ball-pitching arm mounted on anenergy-storing member and provided with means to hold said arm whileenergy is stored in the mentioned member and to release the arm to swingunder force of the energy stored in said member, the improve ments thatcomprise:

(a) a ball-holding device on said arm and having a ball-supporting rim,

(b) means engaged with the arm and the ball-holding device to adjust therim of the latter at various angles relative to the arm, and

(c) said means comprising a wedge shim member interposed between thedevice and arm, and means to resiliently bias the device intoangle-accommodating engagement with the shim member.

2. In a ball-pitching machine having a ball-pitching arm mounted on anenergy-storing member and provided with means to hold said arm whileenergy is stored in the mentioned member and to release the arm to swingunder force of the energy stored in said member, the improvements thatcomprise:

(a) a ball-holding device on said arm ball-supporting rim,

(b) a wedge shim having a thick edge and a thin edge and interposedbetween the ball-holding device and the arm and adjustable to change thedisposition of said shim edges, and

(c) means to resiliently bias the device in a direction toward the shimwhereby the rim of said device assumes an angle relative to the arm thatconforms to the disposition of said shim edges.

3. In a ball-pitching machine according to claim 2, the shim beingcircular, and the ball-holding device being provided with a stud aroundwhich the shim is angularly adjustable.

4. In a ball-pitching machine according to claim 3, said device and armeach having a fiat face, and said faces engaging opposite sides of theshim, said opposite shim sides being flat and at an acute angle to eachother.

and having a References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS1,821,755 9/1931 Jeter 1247 1,912,360 6/1933 Blanchard 1247 FOREIGNPATENTS 928,649 6/ 1947 France.

RICHARD C. PINKI-IAM, Primary Examiner.

W. R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A BALL-PITCHING MACHINE HAVING A BALL-PITCHING ARM MOUNTED ON ANENERGY-STORING MEMBER AND PROVIDED WITH MEANS TO HOLD SAID ARM WHILEENERGY IS STORED IN THE MENTIONED MEMBER AND TO RELEASE THE ARM TO SWINGUNDER FORCE OF THE ENERGY STORED IN SAID MEMBER, THE IMPROVEMENTS THATCOMPRISE: (A) A BALL-HOLDING DEVICE ON SAID ARM AND HAVING ABALL-SUPPORTING RIM, (B) MEANS ENGAGED WITH THE ARM AND THE BALL-HOLDINGDEVICE TO ADJST THE RIM OF THE LATTER AT VARIOUS ANGLES RELATIVE TO THEARM, AND